“One’s Island” is a photography and film project originated in 2008, seeking to symbolize the subject of youth’s angst and disconnection with the rest of society . In contrast to a frenetic production of documentary images, “One’s Island” is rather a constellation of contemplative vignettes, all communicating with each other to map the territory of an illusory island. Void of any human activity, the island’s landscapes are quiet, somber, transcendental or vertiginous. Their dense character is a direct answer to the complexity one faces in their mental wanderings. This floating and ever-changing territory urges the viewer to experience a serene and silent return to oneself.

My work reveals my sensitivity to the vulnerability that attends being a teenager. I am interested in the interval; that highly ambiguous and uncertain period where one undergoes an exponential growth of experience and knowledge, while sensing the weight of the world on their shoulders. Comparably, the locations in which I capture my subjects crystallize the very idea of the interval within the landscape: the no man’s land between one thing and another thing, such as vacant city lots, ethereal nocturnal boulevards or isolated skate parks and beaches.

The island enters in dialogue with portraits of adolescents as well as mundane still lives, where the seemingly unpoetic details, when contemplated long enough, can offer their magic. Blending spontaneous capturing with composed cinematic tableaux, I juxtapose these scenes to the island landscapes in order to demonstrate that their strength is truly revealed in the presence of each other — as if they were layered, or connected by invisible seams.

The photographic project was complimented in 2018 by my first fiction film 'JULIAN' (28'45''), investigating the same subject-matter.